The London Lightning lose to Ottawa SkyHawks, but the Lightning coach is none too pleased with the game’s venue and the officiating 0

Ottawa SkyHawks Jerice Crouch, has the ball knocked out of his hands by London Lightning's Tony Bennett, right, during National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC) action at Cégep de l'Outaouais in Gatineau, QC on Monday, January 27, 2014. (Darren Brown, QMI Agency)

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For as many times as London Lightning coach Micheal Ray Richardson called Monday’s game a joke, he didn’t find it particularly funny.

The London Lightning continued their up and down play Monday, losing to the Ottawa SkyHawks 107-104 in a National Basketball League of Canada game.

The Lightning, coming off a huge win Sunday over the Brampton A’s, couldn’t build on it.

They couldn’t make the key play or key free throw in this tight contest.

But Richardson wasn’t upset at his players. He was fuming about the facility his team had to play in and the quality of the refereeing.

“My players played their hearts out,” he said. “They did everything they could but . . .”

The four prominent words for Richardson on the night were “it was a joke.”

The SkyHawks and Lightning didn’t play in Ottawa at the Canadian Tire Centre. They played a Cegep Outaouais, a college in Gatineau, Que. It was a small gym with a few bleachers.

The SkyHawks indicated it was part of the outreach program, to bring basketball to different areas and had nothing to do with keeping costs under control.

Richardson wasn’t even sure what kind of floor the teams were playing on, but there was plenty of slipping and sliding.

“It was ugly,” he said, his anger steaming the telephone line. “This is supposed to be professional basketball. There were so many lines on the floor you didn’t know what you were looking for. One time Tony Bennett hit a shot two feet behind the three-point line and they called it a two. It was a joke.

“The scorekeepers ran the clock when they weren’t supposed to and stopped it when they weren’t supposed to. It was a joke.”

Richardson didn’t think it was a professional atmosphere, so instead of the usual snappy clothing he wears when coaching, he coached in sweat pants and a Lightning golf shirt.

“There were 25 people in a YMCA gym,” he said. “I would have looked out of place.”

Then it was the referees’ turn. They called 49 fouls in the game. The Lightning were 29-of-36 from the line while the Hawks were 20-of-24.

Richardson was especially upset at a foul call late in the game when Marvin Phillips rebounded a missed foul shot and was called for a foul.

“The guy didn’t box out and Marvin came up with the ball and they call a foul with Marvin having the ball in his hand,” Richardson fumed. “It was a joke.”

Richardson wasn’t done yet.

“This is supposed to be professional basketball,” he said. “(The league) doesn’t want us to talk about the referees so go ahead and fix the problem. It’s chaos out there. It’s a joke.

“You talk about the referees and there are consequences. Where are their consequences? Why aren’t their consequences for their performance? It’s a joke. We’re trying to make a living like this and they come out and call a game like that then they go home. Fix the problem.”

The SkyHawks shot well yet again, hitting 60% from the floor and 56% from three-point range. The Lightning shot 41%.

But even at that, the Lightning had a chance to send the game into overtime.

Phillips had a long catch-and-shoot three with two seconds left at the end of the game but it rang off the rim.

The SkyHawks had embarrassed the Lightning at Budweiser Gardens on January 22 beating them easily 107-89.

Tony Bennett had 22 to lead the Lightning and Phillips added 20 and 11 rebounds. Garrett Williamson added 18.

Tim Ellis had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The SkyHawks got 18 points from Jerice Crouch and 16 each from Jermaine Johnson and Ryan Anderson.

The Lightning drop to 20-11 on the season.

The Lightning are now off for nine days before taking on the Windsor Express Thursday, Feb. 6 in London.